Hand-Builders of Fine Music-Reproduction Equipment Precision Electro-Acoustic Research Laboratory
86008, 2106 33 Ave. SW, Calgary, AB; CAN T2T 1Z6 Ph: +. 1. 403.244. 4434 Fx: +. 1. 403.244. 7134 Web: http: // www. pearl - hifi . com E-mail: custserv@pearl - hifi . com Please note that the links in the PEARL logotype above are live and can be used to direct your web browser to our site or to open an e-mail message window addressed to ourselves. To view our item listings on eBay, click here. To see the feedback we have left for our customers, click here. This document has been prepared as a public service . Any and all trademarks and logotypes used herein are the property of their owners. It is our intent to provide this document in accordance with the stipulations with respect to fair use as delineated in Copyrights - Chapter 1: Subject Matter and Scope of Copyright; Sec. 107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair Use. Public access to copy of this document is provided on the website of Cornell Law School ( http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html ) and is here reproduced below:: Sec. 107. - Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair Use Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, includ- ing such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specied by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for class- room use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include: 1 - the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprot educational purposes; 2 - the nature of the copyrighted work; 3 - the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copy righted work as a whole; and 4 - the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copy- righted work. The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a nding of fair use if such nding is made upon consideration of all the above factors Blank Page AN 6.2 - Page 1 ! ! T HE PURPOSE of this monograph is to outline in general the mechanisms of microphonic-sig- nal generation within electronic equipment; within vacuum tubes in particular and to explain how these can be suppressed to a worthwhile degree in tube equipment. One can go to terric extremes in the selection of top-quality components and masterfully execute a superb circuit topology yet still nish up some dis- tance from ultimate circuit performance if the fac- tors affecting the mechanical performance of sus- ceptible components have not been carefully taken into consideration. The extent to which high-delity music repro- duction is adversely affected by microphonic conta- mination appears to have been largely overlooked in the great majority of present commercial offerings, although the reasons for this are, to this observer, not particularly clear. Microphonic output results from the mechanical stimulation of components and is sometimes deter- mined to originate from surprising sources. To name but a few, resistors, capacitors, transformers, cable, tubes, switches, connectors, and relays are capable of creating spurious microphonic signals. Almost always, such spuriae are generated by some change in the relative position of the mechani- cal elements composing a device. Vacuum tubes, which employ electrostatic elds to control electron ow, are by the nature of their physical construction, particularly capable produc- ers of microphonic outputs. This can occur because the gridsthe electrostatically operated gates that control electron ow through the tubeare physi- cally very ne structures and quite responsive to subtle mechanical stimuli. For example, the grid in each triode section of the commonly used dual-tri- ode, 6DJ 8, is wound with wire that is nearly invisible to the naked eye. A grid can be thought to resemble a miniature harp that has all of its strings tuned to approxi- mately the same note. When a mechanical stimulus of the right frequency induces vibration in the tube structure, the turns of ne grid wire can be set into resonance. Like a harp, they will sing their own song for some time after the stimulus has passed. Since the ow of electrons through the tube is a function of both the controlling voltage applied to the grid and the grids physical position within the tube, a change in either of these parameters will cause a change in current ow and, consequently, the appearance of an output signal. Microphonic output will result if the grid suffers a physical displacment with respect to the cathode. Such movement will take place when the tube is subjected to vibrational stim- uli orsomewhat surprisinglyas a result of the tubes normal operation in a vibrationally silent environment. See AN 28.0, Dynamic Compression and Self-Microphony in Triodes for more on this The suppression of microphonic output requires that mechanical vibration be prevented from reach- ing the tube. So with this goal in mind, the PEARL Iso-Socket was designed. While some equipment designers have tried to reduce microphonic effects by the (usually not very) compliant mounting of tube laden circuit boards, this is, at best, a partial solution. Acoustic energy can still act on the circuit board stimulating its self- resonant modes which are not likely to be well damped by the compliant board-mounting. Via their sockets, vibrational energy reaches and acts on the tubes through a sort of sounding-board effect. A more effective solution is to mechanically isolate the tube socket from the surface to which its mounted and this is exactly what an Iso-Socket does. The sonic improvements that accrue from this are numerous and worth discussing in some detail. Generally, it can be said that small changes in signal level are more clearly delineated. Some of the effects of this are heard as greater dynamic contrast, improved inter-transient silence and a heightening of contrast among the various musical colors. The sound assumes a more relaxed quality while musical climaxes are handled with less apparent effort. Subtle changes in tempo, intonation and phras- ing are effortlessly reproduced. One is struck by the feeling of having missed much of the emotional con- tent of a given performance on previous listenings Getting the Shake & Rattle Out of Your Rock & Roll : Suppressing Microphonic Output From Vacuum-Tube Equipment Hand-Builders of Fine Music-Reproduction Equipment Precision Electro-Acoustic Research Laboratory. 2106 33 Ave. SW, Calgary, AB; CAN T2T 1Z6 Ph: +.1.403.244.4434 Fx: +.1.403.244.7134 Web: http://www.pearl -hifi .com E-mail: custserv@pearl -hifi .com AN 6.2 - Page 2 ! ! where microphonic effects have been at work. I n particular, the lower registers are presented more clearly, with greater impact yet with an engag- ing immediacy and warmth. The loose, much reviled tube-bass sound essentially vanishes. (Largely, its presence appears to be an effect of cathode reso- nances. See Audio Note 8.1, The Measurement of Microphonic Effects in Vacuum Tubes.) The sonic character of the recording venue is more apparent while the performance as a whole is presented against a quieter, blacker background. Your present tube gear may be of the highest cal- iber yet if you are still listening to the ringing reso- nances of the tubes modulating the music, you are missing much of the beautiful reproduction that, to date, only tubes can offer. Given that the apprecia- tion of such musical beauty is the reason for owning tube gear in the rst place, is there any reason to continue listening to microphonic effects? The I so-Socket is available in 7- and 9-pin types suitable for pc-board mounting only. Horizontal- or vertical-mounting types are produced in the follow- ing variations: 7-pin horizontal and vertical types, low- prole, gold contacts only. 9-pin horizontal and vertical types, low- prole, gold contacts only. 9-pin vertical types, standard-prole, silver contacts only. The low-prole devices accommodate equip- ment where very little increase in the seated height of the tube is permissible. The mechanical stops pro- vided in the vertical types prevent over-stressing of the decoupling elastomers when inserting or remov- ing tubes, while those in the horizontal types act only to limit over-stress on tube removal. Dimension drawings of all of these types appear overleaf. Only the low-profile socket types use gold-plated beryl- lium-copper contact ngers within each pin recepta- cle. These are press-tted into a precisely machined body of standard, unclad, G10 PC-board material The standard-prole device uses heavily silver- plated, hard-brass contacts contai ned wi thi n a ceramic body. We think the silver-contact devices sound slightly better than the gold-plated units, although the difference is subtle and likely to be heard only on systems of exceptional resolving power. APPL I CATI ON NOTE I t should be noted that the silver-plated brass contacts are very stiff, and insertion or removal of the tubes requires considerable force. We recom- mend that you rmly grasp the socket body when changing tubes even though there are mechanical stops built into its suspension system. Further, care should always be taken to ensure that the pins on all tubes are straight and clean before attempting inser- tion into any sort of socket. AN 6.2 - Page 3 ! ! PC Pads & Traces .39" Leads not show n .84" .31" Leads not show n .150" .650" Leads not show n .150" .650" .84" .31" Leads not show n Fig. 1. The seated height of a standard,PC m ounted 7 /9-pin tube socket is show n above.U se this to gauge the increase in the seated height oftubes tted into any ofthe ISO -SO C KETS show n on this page. Fig. 2. The low pro le,PC m ounting,vertical ISO -SO C K ET is show n above.The contacts are gold plated brass,the socket body is blue G 10 berglass and Sorbothane is used is used for the decoupling elastom er. Fig. 3. The standard pro le, PC m ounting, vertical ISO -SO C K ET is show n above.The contacts are silver plated brass,the socket body is w hite ceram ic and Sorbothane is used is used for the decoupling elastom er Fig. 4. The low pro le,PC m ounting,horizontal ISO -SO C K ET is show n above.The contacts are gold plated brass,the socket body is blue G 10 berglass and silicone foam is used is used for the decoupling elastom er Fig. 5. The standard pro le,PC m ounting,horizontal ISO -SO C K ET is show n above.The contacts are silver plated brass,the socket body is w hite ceram ic and silicone foam is used is used for the decou- pling elastom er APPE NDI X 1. I SO-SOCK E T di mensi oned dr awi ngs. AN 6.2 - Page 4 ! ! .31" .84" .86" Socket uses the original holes in the chassis 4-40 m achine screw s Leads not show n .31" Socket uses the original holes in the chassis 4-40 m achine screw s Leads not show n .84" .86" `Fig. 6 The standard pro le,chassis m ounting,vertical ISO -SO C KET is show n above.The contacts are silver plated brass,the socket body is w hite ceram ic and Sorbothane is used is used for the decoupling elas- tom er. The socket is supplied fully assem bled w ith the flex leads threaded though the holes in but not soldered onto the hollow,turret term inals.N ote that the insulation on the leads is solder strippable. See A N 7.1 ISO-SOCKET Installation Instructions for com plete direc- tions on the m ethod to use to dress the leads. Fig. 7 The standard profile, chassis m ounting, horizontal ISO - SO C K ET is show n above.The contacts are silver plated brass,the socket body is w hite ceram ic and silicone foam is used is used for the decoupling elastom er.The socket is supplied fully assem bled w ith the ex leads threaded though the holes in but not soldered onto the hollow, turret term inals. N ote that the insulation on the leads is solder strippable. See A N 7.1 ISO-SOCKET Installation Instructions for com plete directions on the m ethod to use to dress the leads.